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Scientists have been able to recreate the entire Universe inside a computer for the first time ever. A simulation running on a supercomputer, tracking a mind boggling 550 billion particles as they evolve, has been able to recreate the structure of the Universe right from the Big Bang to the present day.
Simulating the Standard Model of Cosmology
This is the first in the series of three simulations to be carried out on GENCI's new supercomputer, CURIE at CEA's TGCC (Tres Grand Centre de Calcul) performed by researchers from Laboratoire Univers et Theorie (LUTH). This takes into account the standard model of cosmology with the cosmological constant built in. Successive runs will improve upon this result with more data, especially about the distribution of dark matter and dark energy. The project, called Deus: full Universe run, will seek answers to the cosmological questions in a way similar to what the LHC follows in order to get answers.
Why simulation?
The physics at the LHC is massively complicated by the presence of so many particles and so many end states of a certain collision. It is impossible to analytically solve for the end state, so scientists use models before they begin an experiment. These simulations reveal what the most likely result of a certain collision is given certain parameters and bounds on certain numbers. The actual run either confirms the simulation, or discards it. This is a far more efficient process than reconstructing the interaction by looking at the end states, which is the other alternative.
The Deus simulation does something like that. They let the 550 billion points evolve and see what the end state is. This has enabled them to count the number of galaxy clusters which are more massive than a hundred thousand billion solar masses (that's VERY heavy, by the way) and the number comes out to be 144 million. The first galaxy cluster formed 2 billion years after the Big Bang, according to the simulation. It also shows the most massive galaxy cluster – with a mass of 15 quadrillion (or 15 thousand trillion) solar masses!
Relics of the Early Universe
The simulation also revealed fingerprints of the inflationary era in the form of fluctuations in the Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation. If the Big Bang and inflation is true, then there must be radiation left over, which is constantly weakening. This permeates all of the space in the Universe, thus the name Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB). It is believed that some quantum fluctuation, growing under the effect of gravity, gave rise to the galaxy and clusters we see today. The CMB was studied thoroughly by the WMAP studies. They also showed up in the simulation.
The simulation also confirmed the presence of dark matter and gave a hint of how it might be distributed throughout the Universe. Present in this primordial virtual cosmic soup is the Baryon Acoustic Oscillations or BAO. This might be the answer to the long standing problem of baryon asymmetry – why matter outnumbers anti-matter in the Universe, whereas they should have been produced in equal numbers in the Early Universe.
Computing power – the sky is the limit
CURIE is one of the largest supercomputer facilities in the world. The whole simulation has taken a few years to put together. The whole project is expected to use more than 30 million hours (or 3500 years) of computing time on all CPU's of CURIE. The amount of data processed comes out to be 150 PB (peta bytes). This amounts to all the data on 30 million DVD's. State-of-the-art compression technology has allowed researchers to reduce this entire jungle to 1 PB.
Two more simulations are to follow! They will test out rival cosmological models. The simulation is also expected to reveal structures we have not been familiar with before. This will provide scientists a search parameter for current projects like PLANCK and future ones like EUCLID.


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For Patients
The Division cares for trauma patients with multiple injuries and staffs the Surgical Intensive Care Units. We perform a breadth of general surgical procedures including simple and complex hernia repairs, gallbladder surgery, colon surgery, and general abdominal surgeries. In addition, the division cares for the majority of patients in the UNC HealthCare System who present with acute surgical emergencies.
Please see our links to the left for more patient information.
Medical Records
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subset: commoncrawl


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Happy Year of the Dragon!
This past weekend, UO Wushu had the opportunity to perform at two culture club events celebrating the Lunar New Year. Saturday's (1/21) demo was for the UO Chinese Students and Scholars Association and Sunday's (1/22) was for the Chinese Association of OSU in Corvallis.
The club would like to thank both both groups for inviting us to perform as well as congratulate two of our beginners – Luke Vang and Tom Tang for demoing with us.


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The New York Times
How Racist Are We? Ask Google
While Seeking Support, Obama Faces a Frustrated Hispanic Electorate
Health Law Ruling Won't Alter Plans by Insurer
It's Time for the Fed to Lead the Fight
Black Leaders and Gay Advocates March in Step
Backtracking on Florida Exams Flunked by Many, Even an Educator
Hospitals Aren't Waiting for Verdict on Health Care Law
Stop-and-Frisk Policy 'Saves Lives,' Mayor Tells Black Congregation
The Christian Science Monitor
As Europe peers into economic chasm, Africa's economy is rising
US legacy in Afghanistan: What 11 years of war has accomplished
Can Obama recover from his 'horrible, no-good' week?
Two churches in Nigeria attacked by gunmen and suicide bomber
The Star Ledger
Successful trade school in Jersey City to be placed under Hudson Schools of Technology banner
Republican lawmakers oddly mute on reorganizing higher ed
N.J. bill making evaluations key to teacher tenure may soon be introduced
Chris Christie's 'crazy' month: Budget battles put heat on N.J. Gov.
The Atlanta Journal Constitution
'I should never have been arrested'
APS educator prevails in tribunal
Group rallies for ex SCLC head
The Detroit Free Press
In Detroit, new school's 1st graduates set their sights on college
Bing will meet with council as clock ticks on Detroit fiscal crisis
Bobby Ferguson to tell his side in bid-rigging trial
Jessie Cokley Jr.: All-star athlete spent 30 years serving Detroit Public Schools
The Washington Post
Deportation, but first, graduation
Woodward and Bernstein: 40 years after Watergate, Nixon was far worse than we thought
Super PACs are often the product of a friend or relative with a checkbook
Largest health insurer to maintain key parts of law regardless of court ruling
Will Philadelphia's experiment in eradicating 'food deserts' work?
Kwame Brown speaks on fraud charge
Mendelson, the first white mayor of D.C.?
The Chicago Tribune
Emanuel to name Chicago Infrastructure Trust board
Southwest Side teen who survived previous shooting dies in weekend violence
Budget cuts threaten DCFS reforms
Public defender's unsavory client poses dilemma
Study: Urban kids have higher incidence of food allergies than rural ones
USA Today
Report: Rise in shootings by L.A.-area police
Lawyer alleges ex-Fla. governor paid men to cover up affairs
The Los Angeles Times
3 top educators leave a vacuum in California
Commerce Secretary accused in hit-and-run
Killings by police in Los Angeles County jump sharply
Los Angeles County officials considering welfare crackdown
The Cleveland Plain Dealer
President Obama to campaign Thursday at Cuyahoga Community College rec center
Ohio schools prepare for another budget hit
Cleveland schools' bond issue eroded by spending on necessary repairs
Ohio senator seeks financial records of black lawmakers' nonprofit organization, accuses group of improper contract award


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An article in today's New York Times, "A Dark and Itchy Night," describes a new bed bug problem: library books.
"bedbugs have discovered a new way to hitchhike in and out of beds: library books. It turns out that tiny bedbugs and their eggs can hide in the spines of hardcover books. The bugs crawl out at night to feed, find a new home in a headboard, and soon readers are enjoying not only plot twists but post-bite welts."
I see it already: the new marketing campaign for Kindles and iPads and Nooks (and all other flavors of e-readers) will be about reading without the need for an exterminator…..Or, the only bugs in e-books are created by programmers….
After all members of my household enjoyed reading library books in bed last night (vocational hazard), I have to stop myself from overreacting. But, I wonder how many law students, studying for exams, will think twice about this the next time they curl up with a library copy of a Chemerinsky on Constitutional Law or Prosser and Keaton?


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Hiked Bigelow West and East (Avery) this Saturday (10/20). I was at the summit of Avery around 8:30 AM and the Summit of Bigelow west around 9:15 AM. There were small sections at ~ treeline where the rocks were covered in ice. Maybe it melted off, maybe not.
Just be careful and be prepared.


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SNOW HILL – A visiting
Worcester County Circuit Court judge last week denied Beka Industries' effort
to collect over $72,000 in legal fees and expenses from the Worcester County
Board of Education after a failed attempt by the latter to counter-sue the
private contractor.
The Board of Education
claimed another minor victory of sorts last week in its ongoing legal battle
with Beka Industries when visiting Circuit Court Judge Sidney S. Campen denied
the contractor's bid to seek over $72,000 in legal fees and other expenses from
the county school board, citing the often evoked doctrine of sovereign immunity
for state and local government entities. The school board was the plaintiff in
counter-suit filed against Beka in July 2008, and while the judge agreed the
suit was filed without substantial justification in violation of a Maryland
rule, he did not agree to award Beka the $72,000 plus it was seeking in legal
fees and other costs associated with the litigation of the case.
The complex legal saga
began back in 2004 when the Board of Education hired Beka to do site work
during the construction of the new Ocean City Elementary School (OCES). In
August 2005, the school board allegedly became unsatisfied with the pace of
Beka's work and replaced the company with another contractor to finish certain
components within the scope of the roughly $1.8 million contract.
In October 2007, Beka
filed a breach of contract lawsuit against the school board seeking repayment
of the entire amount it estimated it was due for the work completed on OCES. In
October 2008, visiting Worcester County Circuit Court Judge Robert Karwacki
awarded Beka $1.1 million in the case, which the school board quickly appealed.
In February, the Court
of Special Appeals reversed the lower court's decision, essentially agreeing
with several of the pillars of the school board's appeal, and remanded the case
back to Circuit Court.
Meanwhile, in July 2008,
the school board filed a counter-suit against Beka alleging because the company
failed to or refused to do the work on OCES, it was forced to hire another
contractor to complete the tasks spelled out in the contract to the tune of
just over $530,000.
In October, the Circuit
Court ruled favorably on Beka's motion to dismiss the case. However, perhaps
buoyed by the victory in Beka I handed down by the Court of Special Appeals in
February, the school board renewed its efforts on Beka II with a motion for
reconsideration filed in March.
After a hearing on
certain aspects of Beka II on March 15, Judge Campen last week issued his
opinion upholding the private contractor's motion to dismiss the case, but
ruled against Beka in its bid to recoup the estimated $72,000 in legal fees and
other costs.
"Based on the record,
this court finds that the conduct of the board in maintaining Beka II was
without substantial justification under Maryland rule," the opinion reads.
"However, the assessment of the costs, expenses and attorney fees against the
board is entirely another matter."
Beka was requesting
attorney's fees and costs in an amount over $40,000. In addition, Beka was also
requesting an extra $32,000-plus in "in house" expenses.
"This court does not
view the requested attorney's fees and costs, in excess of $72,000, to be
reasonable," the opinion reads. "Although the plaintiff, Worcester County Board
of Education, maintained this lawsuit against Beka Industries, Inc. without
substantial justification, this court, in the exercise of its discretion, will
not require the plaintiff to pay costs, expenses or attorney's fees to the


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Scott Peterson
Smoky andouille sausage is the perfect counterpoint to the delicate scallops.
- Yield
- Makes 6 appetizer servings
- 1/4 cup chopped shallots
- 3 tablespoons Sherry wine vinegar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 4.5-ounce bag mixed baby greens
- 18 sea scallops, side muscles trimmed, halved crosswise
- 6 ounces andouille sausage,* cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- Whisk chopped shallots, Sherry wine vinegar, and Dijon mustard in medium bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in 1/2 cup olive oil. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 3 hours ahead. Cover dressing and let stand at room temperature. Rewhisk before using.)
- Toss mixed baby greens in large bowl with enough dressing to coat. Divide salad among 6 plates. Heat 2 tablespoons of remaining olive oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle scallops with salt and pepper. Add scallops to skillet in single layer. Cook until scallops are just opaque in center and lightly browned and all juices have evaporated, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer scallops to plate.
- Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in same skillet over high heat. Add sausage and sauté until crisp, about 3 minutes. Return scallops to skillet and stir just until heated through, about 30 seconds. Sprinkle scallop and andouille sausage mixture around salads, dividing equally. Drizzle scallop and andouille sausage mixture with some of remaining dressing. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.
- Smoked pork-and-beef sausages, sold at specialty foods stores and supermarkets. Kielbasa can be substituted.


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"Modern-Day Korihors," New Era, Mar. 2013, 20–23
Modern-Day Korihors
The Book of Mormon helps us recognize false teachers and shows us how to avoid their traps.
Our Heavenly Father loves His children and wants the highest happiness for them. Jesus tells us that this means inheriting "all that my Father hath" (D&C 84:38). To help us, the Lord provides prophets, teachers, inspired leaders, and the Holy Ghost to guide us. Yet Satan wants all people to be "miserable like unto himself" (2 Nephi 2:27), so he recruits wicked men and women to lead us astray. Because of our agency, we are "free to choose" between the two (2 Nephi 2:27). The Book of Mormon provides clear examples of these false teachers to help us recognize them and to warn and educate us about their tactics.
Because Satan's temptations have not changed, people such as Sherem, Nehor, and Korihor can alert us to the devil's modern-day attempts to lure us into his traps. Some of his temptations are blatant and obvious. Others are skillfully disguised. Consider some modern replicas of false teachers in the Book of Mormon who sought to destroy the Lord's people.
Nehor: Preaching What the People Want to Hear
Some years ago my seminary students mentioned a famous rock group that would tear up a Bible during their concerts, denouncing it and all religion as stupid and foolish. They once even tore up a Book of Mormon when visiting a city with a large Latter-day Saint population.
I asked my students to turn to Alma 1, which we had recently discussed in class. This chapter describes an anti-Christ named Nehor, who taught that religious leaders should be popular with the people and should be paid by them. This led Nehor and other religious leaders to preach what people wanted to hear, such as redefining God by claiming that everyone would be saved. Nehor became very popular, and people "began to support him and give him money" (Alma 1:5). I asked them how this scripture could relate to the people at the concert.
My students observed that the people at the concert, some of whom may have been religious, had supported this group and given them money. They then discussed ways we can fall into the same traps the devil set for people in ancient times by supporting modern-day "Nehors." By buying and consuming their wares, we not only put our souls in danger but also support these people's ability to continue corrupting others. The students expressed a strong determination to avoid such behavior.
Korihor: Claiming There Is No God
Korihor (see Alma 30) gathered a large following by boldly preaching against the doctrines and standards of the gospel. He taught that there would be no Christ; that there were no such things as prophecy, right and wrong, and sin; that there was no need for the Atonement; and that a host of other false doctrines were in fact good and true.
Do you see any of these false doctrines and philosophies today? They're everywhere! Have you noticed that there is little or no mention of God or moral standards in the media? They seem to be completely ignored. Can it be that modern Korihors have been highly successful with the media and other public influences?
Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles has said: "It is well to worry about our moral foundation. We live in a world where more and more persons of influence are teaching and acting out a belief that there is no absolute right and wrong, that all authority and all rules of behavior are man-made choices that can prevail over the commandments of God. Many even question whether there is a God.
"The philosophy of moral relativism, which holds that each person is free to choose for himself what is right and wrong, is becoming the unofficial creed for many in America and other Western nations. At the extreme level, evil acts that used to be localized and covered up like a boil are now legalized and paraded like a banner. Persuaded by this philosophy, many of the rising generation—youth and young adults—are caught up in self-serving pleasures, pagan painting and piercing of body parts, foul language, revealing attire, pornography, dishonesty, and degrading sexual indulgence" ("Truth and Tolerance" [Church Educational System fireside for young adults, Sept. 11, 2011], cesfiresides.lds.org).
Over the years, my seminary students have pointed out many parallels to Korihor's teachings. Some examples are "There is no God," "There will be no Second Coming," "Premarital sexual relations are OK if you love each other," "Do what you want but start repenting a few months before going on a mission or going to the temple," "Experiment with sin and then repent so that later you can better understand and help sinners," "The Church is too strict about the Sabbath," "It is arrogant to claim that we have the only true church," and on and on.
Korihor preached that Church members in his day "durst not enjoy their rights and privileges" (Alma 30:27) for fear that they might "offend some unknown being, who they say is God" (Alma 30:28). Many voices in our day sound similar. For example, a friend asked one student, "Why should we keep the law of chastity since birth control exists?" Another asked, "Why would God make the desire to use procreative powers so strong and then prohibit their use except within marriage? Such restrictions don't seem fair."
I asked class members how they would respond to such questions. Among their responses was Alma 30:60, which reminds us that while Satan is quick to hype the immediate gratification and pleasure of sin, ultimately remorse and misery take their place. Korihor called gospel standards "the foolish traditions of your fathers" (Alma 30:27). The Lord calls gospel standards the "strait and narrow path," which leads us to joy and happiness (see 2 Nephi 31:16–21).
If we learn from the Book of Mormon what to watch out for and avoid, we will be quick to spot counterfeits of God's ways and we will be spared the misery of going astray. Immodesty, Sabbath breaking, sexual immorality, disrespect for authority, false philosophies, and a host of spiritually devastating lifestyles are among the devil's ancient, well-worn traps in modern clothing. Compared to the deeply satisfying and wonderfully enriching ways of the true gospel of Jesus Christ, the false ways of Korihor and other ancient preachers fade quickly away into oblivion.


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Every once in while there comes a book that makes me want to shout from the roof tops, "Everybody, please read this book if you truly care about humanity and society!" Tim Wise's book Under the Affluence: Shaming the Poor, Praising the Rich and Sacrificing the Future of America, is one such book. And though it may sound melodramatic, I truly think Mr. Wise's book is an excellent primer on exactly why our nation seems so skewed, confused and messed-up, especially during one of our most scary, yet important presidential election years ever.
Scholar, activist and writer, the aptly named Tim Wise, has focused on societal issues since college and one of his first jobs was working against former KKK grand wizard, David Duke's presidential bid. Since then Wise has worked on behalf of many progressive causes and has written several books, Under the Affluence being his latest.
In 2016 Wise wonders why do we (as a nation and a society) shame the poor (and let's face it, anyone who isn't mega wealthy) while praising the super-rich? And what does that say about us and what impact is this having on society?
Wise calls this detestable movement "Scroogism," and, yes, based on Ebenezer Scrooge from the Charles Dickens' classic A Christmas Carol. And it is a theme that has shaped our thinking about the haves vs. the have-nots and have-lessers, much of it encouraged by big business, Wall Street, billionaires and millionaires, CEOs, the radical right political pundits, the current state of the GOP, conservative Christianity, mainstream media and often, ourselves. And yes, that includes the have-nots and have-lessers. And Wise offers evidence through nearly 40 pages of end notes to give gravitas to Under the Affluence.
Under the Affluence and its theme of Scroogism is divided into three well-researched, scholarly, yet audience friendly, maddening, heartbreaking and in the end, cautiously hopeful chapters. These chapters include:
- Pulling Apart-The State of Disunited America
- Resurrecting Scrooge-Rhetoric and Policy in a Culture of Cruelty
- Redeeming Scrooge-Fostering a Culture of CompassionIn Resurrecting Scrooge,
Wise carefully researches how in the 21st century the United States is a society that bashes the poor, blames victims, the unemployed and underemployed, embraces a serious lack of compassion and celebrates cruelty while putting the wealthy and the powerful on a pedestal. And Wise examines the origins of class and cruelty in the United States, the ideas of the Social Gospel and FDR's New Deal, the myths and realities of the War on Poverty from its inception to Reaganism (and how liberals responded), and the concept how culture of cruelty affects who receives justice and who receives nothing at all except horrifically de-humanizing insults, both in rhetoric and reality. It is probably these two chapters that truly stirred my rage, and at times, I had to put Under the Affluence down and take a few deep breaths.But just as I was about to chuck Under the Affluence across the room and spend a week in the corner rocking back and forth, I read the final chapter, and felt a bit of hope. Perhaps, as nation things aren't as bleak as they seem. In this chapter, Wise reminds us to look for possible roadblocks on the way of redemption. He also mentions that besides facts, use storytelling because behind every fact there is a very human face with a story that must be heard. He behooves us to create "a vision of a culture of a compassion" and how we can help communities to control their destiny.
Now, I am a realist. I know for the most part Under the Affluence is a book that preaches to the choir, especially in 2016. But maybe, just maybe, Under the Affluence will open minds, soften hearts and act an agent for, as Elvis Costello so aptly put it, "peace, love and understanding." Under the Affluence is not only one of the most important books to come out in 2016; it is one of the most important books to come out in the 21st century.
Wise also takes a look at the world of the working poor and the non-working rich, the myth of meritocracy, horribly mean-spirited remarks, much of it coming from the radical right, including pundits and politicians, excessive CEO and big business pay, the devaluing of work that truly benefits all of society-nursing, teaching social work, protecting the public, improving our infrastructure, creating art, taking care of the elderly and disabled, and so on. And let's not forget the very valuable work that doesn't pay-parenting, eldercare, volunteering, etc.
In Pulling Apart, Wise takes a hardcore look at our current state of joblessness, wage stagnation, underemployment and how they affect us in this stage of "post-recession recovering" America. He investigates today's realities and the long-term effects of income and wealth inequality. Wise contemplates who and what caused these problems and how race, class and economics are involved.


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Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich is spending his time in federal prison teaching Civil War history and learning to play the guitar, while his attorneys work on an appeal, his wife said on Friday, the one-year anniversary of the beginning of his 14-year term for corruption.
"All that we have been left with is a aching hole in our lives," Patti Blagojevich also said in a Facebook post. Glenn Selig, a longtime spokesman for Rod Blagojevich, confirmed the posting was from Patti Blagojevich.
Blagojevich reported to a Colorado federal prison on March 15, 2012. Jurors had convicted him on 18 counts, including charges that he tried to sell or trade President Barack Obama's old U.S. Senate seat.
Patti Blagojevich wrote that attorneys are "working diligently" on her husband's appeal but they wouldn't have any answers for at least six months.
She lamented the fact that her husband is missing events in his family's lives. The couple has two daughters, and she said he has missed birthdays, holidays and music recitals.
"The loss feels all consuming," she wrote. "Unfortunately, those moment have been stolen from my children and there is no getting them back."
But Patti Blagojevich also wrote that family members have visited the former governor many times and talk with him every day. She said her husband also runs "miles and miles" around a quarter-mile track.
A call seeking comment from the U.S. Bureau of Prisons was not immediately returned.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.


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As you have seen from our recent blog posts and Flickr updates, VMC has been busy capturing some spectacular views of Mars.
However on 3 July, we once again turned away from Mars to look towards a more distant target.
Ever since our successful test of the VMC camera's long exposure mode (which brought us our first direct images of Phobos), there's one observation we've been keen to attempt:
An image of Earth!
Our chance observation of Jupiter in April served double duty as a dry run to evaluate if VMC stood a chance of detecting the famous pale blue dot.
With the success of the Jupiter pictures, we felt there was a good possibility that, whilst Earth would likely be faint, it would just be visible.
However, imaging Earth from a Mars-orbiting spacecraft using a camera with no specialised optics is not as simple as it sounds. So we thought we'd provide a brief overview of the kind of things that go into taking a picture like this.
One of the first issues we had deal with was determining the optimal time to take the photo.
Earth and Mars are both orbiting the Sun at different rates, so the angle between them regularly gets larger then smaller.
The larger the Mars-Sun-Earth angle, then – when viewed from Mars – the larger the percentage of Earth that is illuminated. So, you might conclude that we should take the image when this angle as big as possible.
However there are two problems with this:
- If this angle is very large, then Earth is much further away from Mars and thus will appear much smaller.
- The larger this angle gets, when we look towards Earth from Mars, the narrower the Mars/Sun angle gets. This means that the Sun will then be in the field of view of the camera.
This is not only prohibited in the interests the safety of our instruments but would also mean imaging something as faint as the Earth would be impossible as the light from the Sun would blind the camera.
The problem is illustrated below.
So what we needed was some middle ground, a period where the angle is large enough such that a sufficient amount of Earth is illuminated, but not so large that the Sun is too close to the camera's field of view.
With the help of JPL's HORIZONS solar system ephemerides computation service we were able to work out that the solid angle of the illuminated fraction of Earth was at its maximum on 21 June this year. We then tried to find an observation opportunity as close to this date as possible.
To keep the Sun as far from the camera's field of view as possible, it was decided we would not aim to have the Earth in the centre of the image, but instead offset it by 10 degrees.
The next issue we encountered was the need to tell the spacecraft to point VMC at Earth.
On Mars Express, our instrument platform is fixed to the spacecraft, so to point our instruments at a particular spot we have to turn and point the entire spacecraft.
To determine where we point the spacecraft, first the instrument teams have to tell our Science Planning team based at ESAC, in Spain, where they want their instruments to point and when. This is processed by the science planners and then sent here to ESOC to the Mars Express mission planning team.
Our mission planning system takes in all of the pointing requests that our science planners have sent, analyses them to check for critical factors like power consumption, illumination of the solar arrays and data generation as well as other constraints and requirements.
If all checks are OK, one of the outputs is a list containing an entire month's set of spacecraft pointings.
To fit in with this process, we generated a single new VMC 'Earth' pointing by using a software tool we developed ourselves. This new pointing was then added to the monthly list sent by the science planners and processed and checked by the mission planning system.
This set of spacecraft pointings is then sent off to the flight dynamics team here at ESOC. They are able to determine the spacecraft's exact position at any point in time.
Combining this information and knowledge of the spacecraft layout and the position of each instrument, they are able to calculate the orientation the spacecraft must have for it to point a specific instrument toward its desired target.
These calculations are performed for an entire month of observations, while checking that the pointings do not violate any safety constraints. Implementing, maintaining, enforcing and providing strict constraints protects delicate optics and sensors against the perils of excessive heating and over-illumination by the Sun.
As with all spacecraft pointings, our custom Earth pointing had to pass these strict tests for us to be permitted to attempt the observation.
After flight dynamics completed their analysis, the results were then returned back to mission planning, where they can be converted into sets of commands for the spacecraft's attitude and orbit control system.
Once these commands are generated they are checked by the mission planners and the flight control team before being uplinked to Mars Express (once per week).
At this point, the observation has been scheduled, the pointing commands have been generated and checked and up-linked to the spacecraft and the final stage was to then create the command sequence to operate the camera.
This involves telling it when to switch on, how many images to take, the exposure settings to use and when to switch off – and to tell the on-board computer to generate a report of the amount of data the observation produced to enable us to keep track of the volume of stored data on board the spacecraft.
As we expected Earth to be faint, and to maximise our chances of getting a decent image, we decided to use the same settings as our Jupiter pictures, as they contained a wide range exposures from 30 seconds down to 2 seconds.
Once this is all on board the spacecraft, we then have to wait until the images are taken and then down-linked, where we can then run them through our processing tools.
So after all that, here it is.. the Earth, at a distance of 150 031 705 km taken on 3 July 2014 at 15:52 CET from orbit around Mars.
The bright patches you can see are sunlight hitting the top of the recess VMC sits in and then being reflected off the camera lens.
However, on the 2-second exposure, this glare is reduced sufficiently to leave Earth clearly visible in the middle left of the image (Note: the colours here are the result of the processing tool we run the VMC images through).
At first glance it doesn't look like a particularly exciting photo. Some lens flare and a small faint dot are visible.
However, remember: there are 7 billion people living on that small faint dot!
This quote from Carl Sagan describing the famous Voyager 1 photo 'pale blue dot' sums it up rather nicely:
Consider again that dot. That's here. That's home. That's us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives. The aggregate of our joy and suffering, thousands of confident religions, ideologies, and economic doctrines, every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilization, every king and peasant, every young couple in love, every mother and father, hopeful child, inventor and explorer, every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician, every 'superstar,' every 'supreme leader,' every saint and sinner in the history of our species lived there.
As usual, these images along with every other photo VMC has taken are available on our flickr channel.
Editor's note: Thanks to Simon Wood and the entire MEX team for these excellent images and report.


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Nylon rucksack
Zip opens up the large compartment
Smaller front pocket
Adjustable straps
At Bond Boutique we offer a selection of postage options:
Royal Mail Signed - delivery aim within 2-3 working days.
Please note working days do not include Saturday, Sunday or Bank Holidays
UK Standard Delivery Royal Mail Signed– Royal Mail delivery aim within 2-4 working days £3.95
UK Next Day Special Delivery – Royal Mail guaranteed next day £8.25- order must be placed before 3pm on Thursday.
Click and Collect -pick up from Wilmslow Road store - (if you need to return any items you must do so within 14 days of placing your Click and Collect order)
UK Next Day Special Delivery Saturday Delivery £11.00- order before 3pm on Friday for Saturday delivery
Europe and ROI delivery – delivery aim 7 working days £9.95
Rest of the world delivery – delivery aim 7 working days £12.95
(All delivery excludes weekends and bank holidays so for example if you order on Thursday expect your item to be delivered between Monday to Wednesday the following week )
If you are ordering to one of the addresses in our restricted postcode list, please bear in mind delivery may take a little longer. Unfortunately we cannot offer next day/Saturday delivery to these addresses.
Items for next day delivery must be placed before 12pm
We accept the following payment methods: Visa, Visa Debit, Mastercard, Electron, Maestro, Delta, and PayPal.


text:
Eclipse IDE
1752 Solutions and counting.
CloudTran is the premiere developer of transaction management software for cloud computing. We make it possible to run mission-critical OLTP applications in public, private, and hybrid clouds by ad...
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FileSync plugin for Eclipse is a file synchronisation tool. The main goal is to keep files outside of Eclipse projects in-sync with Eclipse project files. The plugin works as builder in Eclipse and...
Update March 2019:
be sure to use https://nodeclipse.github.io/updates/gradle-ide-pack/
not nodeclipse.org
Install Pivotal Gradle IDE & Enide Gradle for Eclipse & EGradle Edi...
MDT Professional Edition is a flexible and intuitive Integrated Development Environment (IDE) for GE Smallworld™ GIS developers. MDT provides many useful features for developers writing in Magik la...
This Eclipse CDT plugin embeds a table-view in your Eclipse that will display the files that currently are being build remotely using distcc. The output is identical to distccmon-text and distccmon...
m2e connector for the yuicompressor-maven-plugin will help you to execute the compress and jslint goals of the plugin. The plugin will run on incremental builds only if any of the configured resour...
Stringer Java Obfuscator has all the features needed for complex protection of your Java and Android applications
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Extend your Eclipse IDE to support building software using Gradle.
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m2e-apt aims at providing automatic Annotation Processing configuration in Eclipse, based on your project's pom.xml and its classpath dependencies (Requires Java >= 1.6).
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m2e provides comprehensive Maven integration for Eclipse. You can use m2e to manage both simple and multi-module Maven projects, execute Maven builds via the Eclipse interface, and interact with Ma...
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This feature has been contributed to m2e 1.5.0. If you're using it or a more recent version, the JBoss Tools version should be uninstalled. The JBoss Tools team presents Maven Profiles Manageme...
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text:
Jersey Shore star Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi has gone through a lot of life changes this year. She got engaged, she had a baby and now she has a new hair color!
She shared her fiery new look — which also includes long hair extensions — via Twitter on Monday.
Jersey Shore cast to reunite for Hurricane Sandy fundraiser
The reality star, 24, most recently rocked red hair when she was five months pregnant, but soon changed her locks back to a darker color.
Polizzi and fiancée Jionni Lavalle welcomed son Lorenzo in August. She is set to appear alongside the rest of her Jersey Shore cast on MTV this Thursday for a "Restore the Shore" benefit meant to raise money for those affected by Hurricane Sandy.
What do you think of Snooki's new hair?


text:
Medical Group
The Penn State Health Medical Group team is honored to serve you and your family. With more than 750 experts located in multiple Penn State Health locations, we bring a variety of family health care services to your neighborhood and community.
Penn State Health Medical Group provides local access to specialty medical services available at the Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, including pediatrics, family medicine and primary care, as well as X-rays, labs and more.
Contact us
Make an appointment:
Find a Penn State Health Medical Group location


text:
A special education teacher in the Mt. Morris Central School District has been arrested for DWI under Leandra's Law.
A special education teacher in the Mt. Morris Central School District has been arrested for DWI under Leandra's Law.
Sheriff's deputies in Livingston County say 48-year-old Carolyn Garger of Avon was driving drunk on Thursday with three children in the car when she hit another vehicle and ran from the scene.
According to deputies, Garger's vehicle was heading east on Route 20A toward Livonia from Geneseo when she struck the other vehicle and drove away. We're told they found Garger's car in a ditch farther down the road. Deputies she had a BAC of .19% and was driving with three children under the age of 15 in the vehicle with her. Luckily, no one was injured.
According to the Mt. Morris Central School District's website, Garger says she has worked for the district for more than 25 years in various roles from coaching to teaching to serving on school committees.
She also says she has three daughters.
Mount Morris Central School District Superintendent Dawn Mirand issued a statement saying, "The school district became aware of the issue this morning and has reached out to the sheriff's department and asked for all documents and information related to this case. It is inappropriate to speak further on this matter until we have had the opportunity to review all details and to speak with the employee. We are conducting our own investigation and there has been no determination made yet on the employee's status with the school district."
Garger was arraigned on charges of DWI, aggravated DWI (BAC of higher than .18%), felony aggravated DWI (Leandra's Law, child 15 years or less in vehicle), three counts of endangering the welfare of a child, leaving the scene of a property damage accident, refusing an alcohol prescreen device and various traffic charges.
She is being held in Livingston County Jail in lieu of bail.
Courtesy WHEC.com


text:
Are you leaving money on the table?
Recently, the blog DoughRoller grabbed my attention with an item about compounding. The premise was that long-term reduced spending increases retirement readiness. I know you want to turn the page, but stay with me. This applies to each of us at any age.
When I counsel people about their finances, my focus isn't so much about income as it is about spending awareness. The blog discusses a small change such as modifying a cellphone package or cable television package that would save a person an average of $80 per month. During the course of 50 years, that amounts to $48,000, and that's without factoring in future value or interest accumulation/return on investment. If that $80 is invested regularly and achieves an average return of 8 percent annually, that $48,000 balloons to $638,000 during that 50 years!
Even if you cut the 50 years in half, the point is that modifying a single spending habit, investing your savings, leaving it alone and letting interest do its work will make you more financially secure.
Often we hear that a person needs $1 million to even think about retiring in today's world. This is disheartening to many who won't reach "retirement age" for another 20 years. While raising a family, paying off student loans and starting a career, what's left for savings?
In addition to making the most of small savings, here is another concept to help make retirement seem more financially realistic.
Look at Social Security as a personal, fixed annuity that you are accumulating. A fixed annuity is money you set aside to draw up on later in fixed amounts. These annuities pay out a series of equal payments over a specified number of years.
Social Security may change in the coming years, but it will always be there. Instead of looking at what you might draw from Social Security monthly, look at that large chunk of dollars as part of your overall retirement package – part of the million needed.
An important note about Social Security: For those baby boomers looking to draw on it soon, realize there are many variables. Be sure to look at all your options before using it. I am beginning to realize that many people are losing money when managing their Social Security.
Here are three facts to keep in mind:
If you wait until you are "of retirement age," according to Social Security, you can draw with no financial penalty.
Many people don't realize that a divorced spouse, who was married at least 10 years and has not remarried, can draw 50 percent of an ex-spouse's retirement.
If you start drawing at 62, you have locked out any potential improvement.
email@example.com or 382-6461. Wendy Rice is family and consumer science agent for the La Plata County Extension Office.


text:
Shooting Stars: The Celebrity Photography of Orval Hixon
The inaugural exhibition of the Orval Hixon gallery, Shooting Stars: The Celebrity Photography of Orval Hixon, opens on Wednesday, January 27, at the Central Library, 14 W. 10th St. The opening will be highlighted by a 6:30 p.m. presentation from author and photography expert Dr. David Shields.
Hixon transformed the field of portrait photography in Kansas City and the surrounding region during a career that spanned over seven decades. Hixon's studios, the first in the Brady Building at 11th and Main Streets and the second just one block west in the Baltimore Hotel, welcomed thousands of patrons including some of the most famous celebrities of the 1910s and 1920s.
Hixon and other photographers helped to successfully mold images of theater and film celebrities and their public personas in an industry based largely on visual appeal. As an Orpheum vaudeville circuit photographer, Hixon shaped perceptions of both veteran actors in the last years of their careers and hopeful performers on the brink of stardom. His artistic style set him apart and made him one of the most sought after portraitists in the nation.
Shields is the McClintock Professor of Southern Letters at the University of South Carolina and the author of the upcoming book The Magic Mirror: Photography & American Silent Cinema. His presentation will focus on Hixon's photographs and their relationship to early 20th century theater and film.
Shooting Stars is the first in a rotating series of exhibits that will appear in the permanent gallery. Each exhibit will include photographs that highlight a different theme in Hixon's work.
Admission to the gallery and the Shields presentation is free. Click here or call 816.701.3407 to RSVP for the grand opening event. A 6 p.m. reception precedes the presentation. Free parking is available in the Library District Parking Garage at 10th and Baltimore.
The Orval Hixon Gallery has been made possible through a donation by Charles David Hixon, Linda Hixon, and James Finley of over 150 digital photographic prints, produced from Hixon's original glass plate negatives. Ordering information for these images may be found at www.sundancephotogallery.com.


text:
All DIRECTV equipment offers are for leased equipment only. Equipment costs, particularly for advanced products such as HD and/or DVR receivers, can be sizable and we believe leasing provides our customers a better and more affordable alternative. Also, as the technology in our receivers becomes more advanced, leasing allows us to continue to provide the latest equipment to you — at minimal cost. Leasing also permits affordable upgrades and free replacement receivers.
Our best equipment deals can always be found online. See our best offer for new customers.
While receivers may be purchased, most customers find that leasing is a more affordable alternative. If you'd rather purchase a DIRECTV System instead of leasing directly from us you may be able to do so, but the cost will be greater than leasing. Please call us at 1-800-DIRECTV to find out what equipment is available.
In addition, select retailers may offer a purchase option for new customers. Your best bet is to check with individual retailers. To find one nearest you, please visit directv.com/retailers and enter your ZIP code in the lookup field. Please note that not all of these retailers may offer a purchase option.


text:
Check out great video and audio discipleship content!Watch
Get a free Bible in your own language. Take it with you wherever you go!Download Now
Are you unsure of how to talk to God? Let this five-step starter guide help you begin your prayer life!Read More
The New Believer's Guide is a series of articles designed to show you how to walk in the new life Christ has given you— a life of faith and freedom.Read More
Every week the devotional gives you a key scripture, encourages you in your walk with Jesus, extra resources and a guidance for praying that week.Read More
Get John Beckett's 30 Day Next Steps as an app on your phoneDownload Now


text:
29 May 2016
All the looks from the Louis Vuitton Cruise 2017 show
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text:
Test your server for the Shellshock vulnerability
After patching your server, run the following tests to make sure your server is safe from the Shellshock vulnerability.
Note: These tests work on all versions of Linux.
- Run the following command:
cd /tmp; rm -f /tmp/echo; env 'x=() { (a)=>\' bash -c "echo date"; cat /tmp/echoA correctly-patched server will return:date cat: /tmp/echo: No such file or directory
- Run the following command:
env 'x=() { :;}; echo vulnerable' 'BASH_FUNC_x()=() { :;}; echo vulnerable' bash -c "echo test"
Clean servers' responses will vary depending on the BASH version, but you should see
testnear the the bottom of the output.
Vulnerable servers' response will be
Warning: Your server must pass both tests to be considered safe from the bash vulnerability.


text:
| 12.8°C Belfast
Jeremy Paxman has described the BBC as "smug" and criticised senior staff being paid huge sums "merely for walking out of the door".
The Newsnight presenter also spoke out against its "closed corporate culture" and said recent revelations about excessive pay-offs for executives and the millions wasted on a failed IT project had tested "the public's patience".
Among the payouts that sparked a recent storm of criticism were £470,000 to former director-general George Entwistle after only 54 days in the job and £680,000 to former chief operating officer Caroline Thomson.
Deputy director-general Mark Byford departed the BBC with a total payout of £949,000.
Only last week, an influential committee of MPs said the BBC was "far too complacent" in its handling of the Digital Media Initiative (DMI) which was scrapped at the cost of almost £100 million of licence fee-payers' money.
Paxman told the Guardian: " It is smug. I love the BBC in many ways, but at the same time it has made me loathe aspects of it, and that's a very odd state of affairs.
"When I see people being given £1 million merely for walking out of the door, when I see £100 million being blown on that DMI [digital media initiative] thing, a stupid technical initiative like that, I start wondering: how much longer are we going to test the public's patience?"
He also said the BBC had "an unfortunate history" of expanding into areas including online news and "extra" television and radio channels.
He said: " The great smell that comes off those pay-off scandals - and I think they are scandals - is of an organisation which became complacent, preoccupied with the conditions of its senior staff, at the expense of a strategic vision."


text:
With NetApp All-Flash FAS, AmTrust delivers high-quality experiences for its staff and policyholders all of the time.
4,000 hours
Gained in staff productivity per year
Products & Solutions
AmTrust Financial Services, Inc.
A Commitment to Excellence
"Your success is our policy®" is not just a catchy phrase at AmTrust. It is the commitment behind everything the company does. It prioritizes customer service and satisfaction by empowering employees to make every interaction helpful and productive. Equally important, the company continually boosts market share by introducing valuable services to more businesses faster. At the same time, AmTrust is quickly extending its global reach by accelerating time to value for new acquisitions.
Enabling exceptional operations and customer service in such a high-growth environment requires standardizing on leading technology platforms. This is especially true of the company's Microsoft Remote Desktop Services (RDS) for call center agents, developers, QA, and IT staff. Because fast login times and responsive information access are so critical to the business, AmTrust decision makers wanted to preserve performance as acquisitions continued and remote desktop user numbers quickly topped 3,000.
With many of AmTrust's core workloads already benefitting from an integrated NetApp and Cisco based FlexPod infrastructure, it made sense to move its Remote Desktop Services there as well. To provide extremely low latency for the desktops, NetApp recommended supplementing the company's six-node NetApp FAS3240 configuration running the NetApp clustered Data ONTAP® operating system with an additional All Flash NetApp FAS2552 two-node cluster supporting the Network File System (NFS).
Since the deployment, latency is now topping out at 1.5 ms during login storms, making it possible for remote desktops to load in one to three seconds—seven times faster than before, on average. This change enables the staff to begin work sooner. The lower latency for RDS sessions has also helped improve application response times, further enhancing overall productivity and elevating customer service to new heights. Instead of fielding calls and troubleshooting performance bottlenecks, help desk and operations staff can now spend more time helping users increase their efficiency.
In addition, with increased headroom and performance, AmTrust is accelerating and getting more value from acquisitions, enabling the company to quickly extend its presence in new regions.
About this Customer
In less than two decades, AmTrust Financial Services, Inc. has achieved phenomenal growth, going from a small specialty insurer for workers compensation to a publicly traded $4.6 billion global insurance and warranty provider. Integral to the company's success are its commitment to customer service, product innovation, and ability to serve new markets.
More Customer Stories
Mantra Group
Delivering Unmatched Customer Responsiveness While Driving Business GrowthLearn More
Deutscher Wetterdienst (DWD)
Delivering Weather Information in Real-TimeLearn More
Citrix Systems, Inc.
Enhancing Mobile Application Delivery in a FlashLearn More


text: The SEER Program strives to make all Localized/Regional/Distant stage variables consistent for all cancer sites for the appropriate years. However, there are certain site/year combinations where this is not possible. The following tables detail changes imposed on the SEER Historic and Summary stage variables for each SEER Research Data release.


text:
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Mississippi lawmakers appear unlikely to do an about-face and vote to expand Medicaid this year.
Leaders of the Republican-controlled House and Senate say they still oppose expansion of the program, even with the federal government paying most of the cost in the first few years. They're backed by Republican Gov. Phil Bryant, who fears Mississippi could be stuck with a huge health care bill if the federal government backtracks on funding.
Many Democrats, as well as advocates for the working poor, say expanding Medicaid could bring billions of federal dollars to one of the poorest states in the nation, making health care more readily available and supporting jobs in hospitals and clinics.
Medicaid expansion is an option under the federal health overhaul President Barack Obama signed into law in 2010. Mississippi is among about two dozen states, led by Republican governors, that have rejected the expansion so far. Lawmakers here argued about it throughout the 2013 session, but nothing happened.
"It appears Obamacare is a debacle. I cannot believe anybody would continue to advance it," House Speaker Philip Gunn, R-Clinton, said in an interview about the 2014 session.
Sen. David Blount, D-Jackson, said Mississippi has "an opportunity to do something smart" by expanding Medicaid. He said for a relatively small investment of state money, Mississippi could bring in billions of federal dollars to create jobs and improve health care.
"In the 2014 legislative session, I hope we can set aside the partisan politics, look at the dollars and cents," Blount said.
In October, the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation released a study that shows 137,800 low-income Mississippians fall into a health insurance coverage gap and are uninsured. They earn too much to enroll in Medicaid but too little to qualify for government subsidies that would reduce their cost of buying private health insurance. The number represents 37 percent of uninsured Mississippi adults who are younger than 65. Mississippi has the highest percentage of residents in the coverage gap.
A family of three can earn no more than about $5,600 to qualify for Medicaid in Mississippi. So, the coverage gap for a family of three would be for those earning more than $5,600 but less than $19,530, which is 100 percent of the federal poverty level for that size family.
"People in the coverage gap are likely to face barriers to needed health services or, if they do require medical care, potentially serious financial consequences," the Kaiser Family Foundation report said.
Under the health overhaul law, federal subsidies are available for people to purchase health insurance from private companies on government-run exchanges, or online marketplaces. The subsidies are for people who earn between 100 percent and 400 percent of the federal poverty level — $19,530 to $78,120 for a family of three.
The health overhaul law originally would have made states expand Medicaid to people earning up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level. The U.S. Supreme Court upheld most of the law in 2012 but ruled that Medicaid expansion is optional. Medicaid is a federal-state health insurance program for needy, aged, blind and disabled people and for low-income families with children.
Kim Robinson, a program associate for the Children's Defense Fund in Jackson, is a "navigator" who is trained to help people shop for private health insurance on an exchange, or online marketplace, run by the federal government. She said many of the people she has helped, so far, fall into the "coverage gap."
"So, we're having to tell these hardworking people that we don't qualify for anything," Robinson said. "Unfortunately, the ones that do fall under 100 percent of federal poverty level and we are able to offer them rates on the exchange, they can't afford the rates because they are the working poor. So, Medicaid expansion would be not only an economic driver in this state, it would be something that would help people working hard every day to have access to affordable health care coverage."
Mississippi Health Advocacy Program, which supports wider availability of medical coverage, released a study in December that showed Medicaid expansion would generate more than $14 billion in new economic activity in the state, create about 20,000 new jobs and provide a net increase of $848 million in state and local tax collections.
That's based on a scenario of 217,000 people being added to Medicaid from 2014 to 2020 — the middle level in a study that also presented numbers for higher and lower levels of new enrollment. About 644,000 of the Mississippi's nearly 3 million residents are already enrolled in Medicaid, and the governor has said repeatedly that he doesn't want to increase people's dependence on government programs.
Copyright Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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text:
Tuesday Thruway sweep
Monday's snow melted in time for the Bisons and Red Wings to complete a doubleheader at Coca-Cola Field on Tuesday. However, Buffalo's offense just couldn't heat up against Rochester pitching.
The Herd combined to score just one run on nine hits in the twinbill, dropping both games to their closest rivals. Rochester scored a 3-1 victory in Tuesday's first game before shutting out the Bisons, 2-0, in the second contest.
The Bisons' lone run on the day came courtesy of their first batter on the afternoon. Jason Pridie homered on a 1-1 pitch from Rochester starter Anthony Swarzak. From that point on, the Herd was shutout on just eight singles over the next 14 innings.
The Red Wings got all the offense they would need in the first inning of each contest. In game one, Jenrry Mejia walked the bases loaded before Rene Tosoni doubled down the left field line to score a pair.
Mejia rebounded to strike out six in 5.2 innings. The righty did allow an insurance run in the fourth inning when he threw away a pickoff attempt in-between singles by Dustin Martin and Brandon Roberts.
In game two, Rochester's Ben Revere greeted starter Dylan Owen with a single before Bisons-killer Trevor Plouffe hit a two-run home run to left.
Owen kept the Wings off the board after that, working into the sixth inning. But without any support, the righty fell to 0-2 on the season.
Swarzak threw the complete game victory for Rochester in game one. Reliever Jeff Manship collected the game two win.
BISONS NOTES:Kirk Nieuwenhuis singled in each game to extend his hit streak to nine games. The outfielder has reached base safely in all 13 Bisons games this season…The three runs allowed by Jenrry Mejia in game one were the first runs he's allowed this season. The righty had begun the year with 12.2 innings of shutout baseball…The Bisons have his six home runs this year with Jason Pridie having half of them.


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@natejschneider It's difficult enough to get three outs in an inning, let alone four or five.
When you added all the freebies that the Central Michigan University baseball team gave visiting rival Eastern Michigan Friday afternoon at Theunissen Stadium, it added up to a game the Chippewas had no business winning.
And they didn't. The Eagles took advantage of five CMU errors in the final three innings, while also seeing Central Michigan pitchers walk 10 batters en route to a 7-3 victory over the hosts. All in all, it was a sloppy series opener for the Chippewas and not how they wanted to return home after avoiding a sweep at Toledo with a win in the finale there last weekend.
'It was very disappointing,' Central Michigan coach Steve Jaksa said of the game's finish. 'I thought we did a great job to get two runs in the bottom of the sixth to take the lead against a kid who threw a two-hitter last week. We wanted to get his pitch count up and we started to do that, but unfortunately we walked the leadoff guy the next inning and then made a couple of bad plays in the field. You can't do that in one-run games. You just can't make the number of bad plays that we did in the last three innings.'
Central Michigan drops to 17-22 overall and 6-10 in the Mid-American Conference with the loss, while EMU moves to 20-18 and 9-7.
Jaksa had made a point the day before that the last four meetings between the Eagles in 2012 had been decided by two runs or less and two of those being ended in walk-off fashion. Friday's game had that kind of feeling too as it cruised through five-plus innings with Eastern Michigan holding a slim 1-0 lead that it produced with a two-out RBI single from Lee Longo in the opening inning.
Central Michigan finally figured out EMU starter Brian Hill (6-1) to an extent in the sixth inning as it Pat MacKenzie singled and Nick Regnier doubled to open the frame, putting runners at second and third. Jordan Adams then singled to center to drive in MacKenzie, but Adams made a serious gaffe on the bases as he thought he could catch the EMU infield sleeping and broke for second. He was thrown out by a good 10 feet for the first out. Luckily for the Chippewas, a perfectly executed suicide squeeze by Neal Jacobs scored Regnier as the runner was close to home as Jacobs made contact to put CMU ahead 2-1. Jacobs was then thrown out trying to steal to become the second runner thrown at second in the inning, while nothing transpired offensively after that.
The lead was short-lived, however, as the aforementioned leadoff walk and two errors by shortstop Noel Santos led to a three-run top of the seventh by EMU. Chippewas starter Jordan Foley (6-3) was chased following the second error that made it 3-2 Eagles, while an infield RBI single pushed it to 4-2.
Foley allowed two earned runs on two hits with four strikeouts and four walks in 6 1/3 innings.
'It was pretty solid up until that last inning,' Jaksa said of Foley's outing. 'In the early innings, he couldn't throw his slider for a strike. Then he started throwing it for strikes and commanding his fastball. They really didn't have an answer against Jordan for a while and then the third time around, they got a read on him a little bit and some balls were misplayed in the field. So it ended up being a bad day for him. You can't strike everyone out in those situations.'
Eastern Michigan tacked on another two runs in the eighth as CMU made two more errors, one of which was unearned off relief pitcher Jason Gamble to extend the lead to four runs.
The Chippewas responded with one run in the eighth on a Cody Leichman RBI single and had potential for more with runners at second and third with two outs, but Tom Lally flew out to keep it at 6-3. Eastern then scored once more in the ninth and CMU went down in order in its half to end the contest.
Nick Regnier was 2-for-4 with a double and two runs for Central Michigan, while Leichman ended his day 2-for-4 with an RBI.
Hill gave up two earned runs on six hits with four strikeouts and one walk over 6 1/3 innings to pick up the win for the Eagles.


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I have been trying for several months to contact Undertow Software.
Nobody answers the phone and no response to any of my emails.
We are looking for updated map files (newer than Q1 2012).
Anyone else having difficulty contacting this company?
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 2 guests


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North Canton Council President Jon Snyder appears to have the votes he needs to put a 5-year, 1.5-mill park levy on the May ballot.
Council appears set next month to ask voters to approve a new 5-year, 1.5-mill park levy in the May primary.
Citing numbers from the city Finance Department, Council President Jon Snyder, Ward 4, provided revised figures Monday on how much the levy would raise and how much it would cost residents. If approved, Snyder said, the levy would raise about $502,500 a year, which is lower than a prior estimate, and cost the owner of a $100,000 home $52.50 a year, which is significantly higher.
Snyder said he had considered seeking a 1-mill levy, which would have cost the owner of a $100,000 home $35 a year, but would raise only $335,000 a year.
The 2014 city park budget will exceed $850,000 because it includes about $300,000 to replace the Dogwood Pool liner. Not counting this and other capital expenses, Snyder said, the operating budget exceeds $500,000 a year, and he wanted the levy proceeds to cover that cost.
Snyder said his initial estimates were thrown off by the Stark County Auditor's office having lowered its valuation of North Canton properties by roughly 10 percent.
Encouraged that Jackson Township and Canton voters approved park levies during the past year, Snyder is seeking the levy because the city has lost significant revenue due to the state's cutting local government funding by half and repealing the estate tax.
Snyder appears to have the votes on council he needs to place the levy issue on the ballot. Council members Doug Foltz, Ward 1; Jeff Peters, Ward 2; and Stephanie Werren, Ward 3, have endorsed it.
"It's not asking a lot to the community to help maintain them (the parks)," said Foltz.
Reach Robert at 330-580-8327 or firstname.lastname@example.com.
On Twitter: @rwangREP


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The Internet is rife with USS Hornet ghost stories. Here are five culled from the website USS Hornet Ghost Stories (www.its.caltech.edu/~drmiles/ghost_stories.html):
The Dress Whites Ghost
I was volunteering on the USS Hornet with a group of my fellow U.S. Coast Guardsmen. We were painting a compartment and a few of us were wearing white Tyvek paper suits. When our paint started running low, I went off in search of the Hornet worker who was supplying our paint, and I got lost in the process. As I wandered the passageways I came off a "side" passage onto the starboard main passageway, one deck below the hangar deck. I saw what I thought was one of my co-workers stepping off the main hall onto a side passage about 25 feet away from me. I called out to him but he kept walking and when I got to the hall he stepped into, there was a chain blocking the entrance and it was an empty compartment. Needless to say, I was confused, but I kept walking and eventually found my way back to the room we were painting. When I saw the co-worker I thought I had seen earlier, I mentioned to him that I had called to him in the passageway, but he told me that he hadn't left the room for about an hour. Later, when I mentioned this to the Hornet employees, one lady said that I had seen the "Dress Whites Ghost," apparently an apparition of a sailor wearing his dress white uniform.
Bob E.
Ignored by officer
My husband and I went with my aunt to tour the USS Hornet. At the end of the day when the tours were closing down, my husband dragged me into a section of the ship that was obviously not open to tourists. The hallways were dark, the side rooms had bed frames tossed into them, debris was strewed all over like a trash heap. I was getting nervous we would either get lost or get into trouble for being in a section that was closed. Suddenly, a full-uniformed officer came from around the corner. I knew for sure we were in trouble. He walked past us. He never made eye contact — no acknowledgment of our presence whatsoever. He then turned into one of the rooms about 10 feet ahead. We followed behind him, and when passing the room he went into, again piled high with bed frames and whatnot, he was gone. I told my husband we had to get out of there. Just then my camera crashed to the floor. The camera came apart from the strap. I have owned this camera for eight years. Never before and never since has the camera come off the strap. I think back now, and I think what set off alarms was the lack of air movement as he walked by, and NO acknowledgment we were even there. I truly believe we saw a ghost!
Cryptic comment
I was on a sleepover along with a friend, her mom and my mom. I thought it would be normal. I was wrong. I had just turned out my reading light. I was on the third bunk. My friend was sleeping beside me, but nobody was under me. I tried to go to sleep. I felt three pushes below me like I was being woken up, so I got up. I looked around and I saw a white light in the corner and saw two sailor ghosts. One said to the other, "Watch that one." First I pinched myself. It hurt. Unfortunately I was the only one awake so nobody else saw.
Passing comment
Dad was laying in his rack, and a guy walked up and told him, "I used to sleep there," and walked away. Never saw him after that.
Bo M.
Weird camera troubles
I went to the USS Hornet with a couple of my friends. We wanted to see if we could find any ghosts, so we took a video camera. My camera was fully charged. When we went into the place where they did surgery, my camera all of a sudden shut off and said "low battery powering off." I thought that was odd. Me and my friends felt cold air going past us. We were scared out of our minds, so we ran to the flight deck and I tried to turn on my camera. It was fully charged and running normal. When I was watching the tape I slowed it down before the part where the camera turned off. I could see a light white figure in the corner, but when I was in that room I had seen nothing.
Contact Gary Peterson at 925-952-5053. Follow him at Twitter.com/garyscribe.


text: communists, Criminals, Crooks, Gangsters, mafia, MOBsters, UncategorizedInternational Best Selling author Joe Bruno has 12 of the top 20 ranked books on Amazon/United Kingdom in the category "Media and the Law." February 6, 2018 Joe Bruno's Blogs New York City's Five Points The Most Dangerous and Decadent Neighborhood Ever! is ranked highest at #3. Share this:TwitterFacebookLike this:Like Loading... Related Published by Joe Bruno's Blogs After more than 40 years as a professional writer, I decided I had run out of things to say. I asked myself, "What am I good at besides writing original content?" The answer was obvious and simple: editing and proofreading because that is what I have done almost every day for more than 40 years. Only now I wanted to do it for someone else, and of course (since I am not a Communist), get paid to do so. It started back in the mid-1970's after I was released from military service in the United States Navy and had gotten married. I had always wanted to be a pro athlete, but because of a lack of exceptional talent, I became a sportswriter instead. In 1976, I got my first gig as a sports columnist for the East Villager in Lower Manhattan. Since then, I have written for the New York Tribune, Ring Magazine, the Times-Herald Middletown Record, Penthouse Magazine, the Cyberboxingzone, and Travelgolf.com. I have also written 48 books, fiction and nonfiction, including bios on Muhammad Ali, Whitey Bulger, Jimmy Hoffa, Virginia Hill, Bonnie Parker, Crazy Joe Gallo, and the murder of Martha Moxley. From 1982-86, I was elected as the Vice President of the Boxing Writers of America, and also the International Boxing Writers Association. In 1986, I was honored by Ring 8 as the Boxing Writer of the Year, and in 1987, I received the same honor from the Association For the Improvement of Boxing. In 2013, my 5-part series "Mobsters, Gangs, Crooks, and Other Creeps," finished runner-up in the 2013 eFestival of Words Best of the Independent Ebook Awards in the category "Nonfiction." If you are in need of a professional editor/copywriter, I'm your man. I've been doing this for so long; it's become second nature to me. If you think I can help you, email me at firstname.lastname@example.com. I read every email. Special Skills: Editing, Copywriting, Ghostwriting, Content Writing. I charge .01 a word for an expert proofread. (50,000 words = $500). For an edit it's .02 a word (50,000 words = $1,000. That includes a follow-up proofreading/edit of the entire book after I send you my first completed work. I.e., I proofread/edit your book, and you make the changes. Then I proofread/edit it a second time. I work in 5,000-word blocks. You send me 5,000 words; I proofread/edit them. Then I send it back to you with a Pay Pal invoice for $50. That way if you're not satisfied with my work you can stop at any time. The second proofread/edit takes place after I have proofread/edited your entire manuscript, and you have made the changes. I've been in the writing business since the mid-1970s. I've used proofreaders/editors many times. Some want to get paid half up front and half when they finish. Several times, I felt I didn't get my money's worth. The way I do it, it benefits both the writer and me. I only get paid for the work I actually do. And the writer, if not satisfied, can cancel at any time. It's a win-win situation Additional literary services are also available. Resume: Professional Experience Bruno Literary Services - President/Author 2000 - present Author of 48 books, both fiction, and nonfiction.T Cyberboxingzone – Columnist 1997-2000 Penthouse Magazine – Feature Writer 1989-1990 Times Herald-Record – Middletown, New York – Sports Columnist 1986-1988 Ring Magazine- Associate Editor 1979-1985 New York Tribune – Sports Columnist 1979-1986 East Villager – Sports Columnist 1976-1979 Education Hunter College Bachelor of Arts in English, May 1974 Additional Skills Expert in Microsoft Office. Web savvy, require little to no training View all posts by Joe Bruno's Blogs


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Under-20 World Hockey Championship Tournament Rosters
The IIHF Under - 20 World Championship is the most prestigious tournament in junior hockey and takes place every Winter Holiday season through the New Year. The main tourney features the ten top division teams from which a champion is crowned. (There are also three lower pools—divisions I, II and III—that each play separate tournaments for the right to be promoted to a higher pool, or face relegation to a lower pool.)
The tournament offers a prestigious stage for young hockey players, many whom are already drafted by NHL clubs, and others whose draft year is 2012. The tourney lets fans watch player under twenty years of age play against the elite in their age grouping, and a good performance can significantly boost a player's value for upcoming NHL Entry Drafts.
A few players under twenty will be granted permission to join their respective national teams to compete. Tampa Bay's Brett Connolly and Anaheim's Devante Smith-Pelly were granted permission to join team Canada by their respective NHL clubs, but there are other teams that have decided their youngsters better serve their organizations by staying with the parent NHL at their relatively young age. Thus Edmonton's budding star Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Philadelphia's Sean Couturier, Columbus's Ryan Johansen, and Florida's Erik Gudbranson willing be staying and contributing at the NHL level, as their teams feel their development is better served by continuing their NHL on-the-job-training.
We here at Draftsite have provided the early rosters and have begun to link them with the profiles of both drafted and soon to be drafted players, so you may get a bit more info on any prop sects that catch your eye.


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Louisiana's democratic Senator Mary Landrieu is, always, the consummate politician.
I begin by recalling her calm demeanor in the face of the Katrina disaster when speaking with Anderson Cooper — her focus was to thank her fellow politicians rather than discuss the real issues at hand (i.e. lack of response by the government, dead bodies in the street, etc.)
To add insult to injury, Landrieu also went to great links to play politics by issuing a public statement congratulating Governor Blanco for her handling of Katrina.
Unbelievable, right?
Then, at the 2008 DNC when she had an opportunity to 'play politics', she chose to speak out against FEMA and the failure to respond properly for Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
In the world of political analysts, the response would be "Well played, Mary, well-played!"
Mary, Mary, quite contrary, is also an avid blackmailer.
Yes, you read that correctly. Two particular instances come to mind to support this argument.
The first was when she issued a press release stating she would hold up the vote on the confirmation of budget director, Jacob Lew, until the administration modified the moratorium that was set after the BP Oil Spill.
The second time Mary refused to endorse a public health care option until the administration agreed to provide Louisiana with $300,000,000 as a trade for her vote.
Some might say this is great because Mary held out for what was in Louisiana's best interest. I suppose that depends on how you feel about the outcome.
Are we better off with the current handling of oil production and sales in Louisiana?
Is the Affordable Care Act working for or against the average citizen at this time?
Perhaps the better question is — how do you feel now that you have the knowledge that a Senator representing you in Washington is an avid blackmailer?
Senator Landrieu also claims Washington as her official 'home' — even though she calls herself the senior Senator from Louisiana.
Evidence of this fact was taken on recently by one of her opponents in the upcoming Senate race when he brought out the fact that Landrieu did not even own a home in Louisiana.
Mary claims her parents home as the location she resides in while visiting her home state.
It is VERY important to note that I am about to put together the pieces of this puzzle:
- Judge Wilson Fields, a fellow Democrat, ruled that Senator Mary Landrieu's residence is not relevant until election day according to the law, delaying this legal challenge until, and if, Mary is re-elected.
- Judge Wilson Fields is the brother of Cleo Fields, Democrat.
- Cleo Fields is an endorser of May Landrieu, Democrat.
Is this all a coincidence? Perhaps, I will allow the reader to decide.
Mary Landrieu also has a propensity to spend taxpayer money for personal use.
This situation was uncovered, only after being challenged by an opponent, that Landrieu was spending taxpayer dollars on personal fundraising events by charging the government for her flight costs.
Once this was made public, Landrieu's political operatives decided to go on the offensive by performing an internal audit of their flight costs and calendar.
Landrieu was aware that you do not mix 'personal' or political events with official Senate business. All elected officials are aware of this rule of law; especially a seasoned 'senior official' from the good state of Louisiana.
At least 136 political functions were scheduled during 43 official Senate business flights since 2002.
Landrieu blamed the problem on faulty bookkeeping, and has now decided to use accounting software that other congressional elected officials use to avoid this problem. Are you kidding me?
Mary has now cut a check to the good people of the U.S. — taxpayers who elected her — in the amount of $33,727.02 to the U.S. Treasury.
Senator Landrieu's endorsement may uncover questions.
Boysie Bollinger, one of the most powerful individuals in the State of Louisiana, has endorsed Mary Landrieu for re-election. Mr. Bollinger is a multi-millionaire and the proprietor of Bollinger Shipyards.
Bollinger Shipyards received a $255 million contract to build Fast Response Cutters for the Coast Guard. Landrieu is the Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee that approved that expenditure, and took credit by announcing the awarding of this contract.
Enough said.
Until next time,
Red Stick Republican


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Fired transit worker says he did right thing by intervening in attack
Bill Bierman says he plans to sue for wrongful termination
A Milwaukee County bus supervisor rescued a woman being attacked on Oct. 6. His actions have some calling him a hero, while others sent him straight to the unemployment line.
VIDEO: Fired transit worker speaks out
"She was no match for the man," Bill Bierman said. "He was grabbing that arm. She was swatting at him, hitting him. She's screaming and she looked right at me, pleading for me to help her."
Bierman decided to step in. He said he didn't have any option.
"I thought her life was in danger," he said. "Someone had to step up and do something for somebody."
When Bierman stepped into the domestic situation on Second Street and National Avenue, his professional career of nine years with the Milwaukee County Transit System took a sudden turn.
"They just told me I was terminated," Bierman said. "One, I put the company in light of possible liability, and also they said the most ridiculous thing -- that I violated the violence in the workplace police."
Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clark called the firing "bureaucratic stupidity," and said state law requires someone to aid a victim or report a crime.
Clark called on Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele to step in and fix the situation.
Abele's spokesperson emailed WISN 12 News a response, saying, "The county has no say on personnel issues at MCTS."
The spokesman said the county owns the equipment, but it is run through a management contract.
Alderman Bob Donovan said Bierman was "Scrooged," and that the world needs more people like Bierman. He said Bierman deserves a medal for his actions.
"I did the right thing," Bierman said. "I don't think anybody should stand by, watching somebody being assaulted, being beaten. I mean, we're a community. We should watch out for each other and help each other out."
Bierman said he plans to sue for wrongful termination. Milwaukee Transport Services, who runs bus operations, said they do not speak about personnel matters.


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Do you believe in Santa Claus? Answer no to that in one small midwestern town and you'll be more than a holiday heretic. You'll be an obstacle to civic advancement.
Welcome to Santa Claus, Ind., population 2,041, the only town in all America named after the Jolly Ol' Elf and dedicated to celebrating the evergreen virtues of Christmas.
"It's year-round, but we really ramp it all up come Christmas," says Melissa Wilkinson of the Spencer County Visitors Bureau. "There are parades, tree lightings, chestnut roastings and fierce competitions between homes vying to be best decorated."
This is a town so crazy for Christmas that every street is named after something involving the holiday. There's Candy Cane Lane, Mistletoe Drive, Arctic Circle and Balthazar, Melchior, and Kasper drives — the biblical names of the Three Wise Men.
Don't miss these Travel stories
Lords of the gourd compete for Punkin Chunkin honors
With teams using more than 100 unique apparatuses to launch globular projectiles a half-mile or more, the 27th annual World Championship Punkin Chunkin event is our pick as November's Weird Festival of the Month.
- Airports, airlines work hard to return your lost items
- Expert: Tourist hordes threaten Sistine Chapel's art
- MGM Grand wants Las Vegas guests to Stay Well
- Report: Airlines collecting $36.1B in fees this year
- Lords of the gourd compete for Punkin Chunkin honors
The three fire trucks at the Santa Claus Volunteer Fire Department are named Rudolph, Dasher and Blitzen, and a new EMT vehicle was dubbed Comet.
That's not all. In Santa Claus, local Catholics worship at a church named St. Nicholas, guests overnight at Santa's Lodge, and golfers from all over the world order Christmas Lake Golf Course logo golf balls to convert into dimpled, snow-white ornaments.
It's almost like the town is striving to become some sort of holiday theme park, which is exactly what it would be if there wasn't already an existing theme park devoted to that very purpose.
That would be Holiday World & Splashin' Safari, located in — you guessed it — Santa Claus, Ind., about an hour west of Louisville.Interactive: Top travel stories of 2010 (on this page)
Town history
"Since 1852, we've been the only town in America with a postal designation of Santa Claus," says Wilkinson. The town is also the birthplace of Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler and was the boyhood home of Abraham Lincoln.
Sure, both men have their historic cheering sections, but neither has the fan base of the big boy with the long white beard.
Don't miss these Travel stories
Lords of the gourd compete for Punkin Chunkin honors
With teams using more than 100 unique apparatuses to launch globular projectiles a half-mile or more, the 27th annual World Championship Punkin Chunkin event is our pick as November's Weird Festival of the Month.
- Airports, airlines work hard to return your lost items
- Expert: Tourist hordes threaten Sistine Chapel's art
- MGM Grand wants Las Vegas guests to Stay Well
- Report: Airlines collecting $36.1B in fees this year
- Lords of the gourd compete for Punkin Chunkin honors
Local legend has it the town sought to be named Santa Fe, but the name was taken. So residents met to choose a more unique name, coincidentally, after church on Christmas Eve.
"The story goes that the winds blew open the doors and the sound of nearby sleigh bells drifted in," Wilkinson says. "The kids all yelled, 'It must be Santa Claus!' "
The fabled decision from long ago, one with all the mystic elements of a Hallmark Christmas movie, would end up having a dramatic impact on the holidays of current Santa Claus post mistress Marian Balbach.
"The rest of the year is pretty calm," she says. "Come Christmas, it's a whole new ballgame. It seems everyone in the world wants to have their Christmas cards stamped with Santa Claus, Indiana, 47579."
Holiday travel survival guide
The post office goes from about 10,000 letters a month and one full-time employee to five full timers who handle about 400,000 letters in just three weeks.
Is Balbach stressed? Does she hate Christmas? Does she throw darts at Santa's likeness?
Ho! Ho! Ho!, er, No! No! No! she insists.
"Oh, I just love it," she says. "You can't help but share the happiness of people who've driven six or seven hours just to mail Christmas cards from Santa Claus. We had one gentleman who used to gather cards and drive them here just so they could be sent from Santa Claus. He was 90, and I finally convinced him just to send them and we'd be happy to take care of it."Slideshow: Faces of Santa (on this page)
The real Santa Claus
Yes, postal patrons, there is a Santa Claus and not only does he receive your letters, he goes to great lengths to individually answer each and every one.
A team of Santa Claus volunteers, dubbed, of course, Santa's Elves, answers and returns the letters sent to the post office, many of them dusted with cookie crumbs from a bumpy journey, according to chief elf Pat Koch.
"Kids all around the world think if they drop a letter to Santa Claus in the mailbox, he's going to get it," she says. "It's our job to see that Santa answers his mail. Really, that's what Santa Claus is all about."
Koch is the daughter-in-law of Holiday World founder Louis Koch, whose Santa Claus Land in 1946 became the world's first themed amusement park, pre-dating Disneyland by nine years.
In the mid-1990s, the theme park, led by Koch's son, Will, began investing heavily in roller coasters and a water park that would rival the world's best.
By 2005, Holiday World edged out all the Disneys, the Six Flags and a host of better-known others when the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions awarded it Best Park, the smallest park to ever earn the distinction.
Sadly, this visionary father of three died of complications of diabetes in June at the age of 47. On Nov. 16, Koch was posthumously inducted into the IAAPA's Hall of Fame alongside industry legends Walt Disney and Milton Hershey. His induction ceremony noted his eagerness to give rather than gouge.
Besides free parking, the park (open May through October) offers free sunscreen and everywhere are unattended soda oases that allow guests to drink as much Pepsi product as they want all day for free all summer. In an age when others in the entertainment industry routinely charge $4.50 or more for 12-ounces of flat soda, the gesture is flabbergasting.
"He really wanted to give as much back to the guests as he could," says park spokeswoman Paula Werne. "That's just the kind of guy he was."
What do you expect from a man who devoted his life to helping really put Santa Claus on the map?
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